Valve assembly for cornets, trumpets and like instruments

ABSTRACT

A valve assembly comprises a valve cylinder and a piston valve slidable in the cylinder. The cylinder is formed of a one-piece tubular body and has a cylindrical bore formed therein, the bore being divided into two sections one of which is larger in diameter than the other so as to form an annular step therebetween. A tubular collar is tightly fitted in the bore so as to seat on the step and has a pair of cut-out portions formed at an annular edge thereof. The cut-out portions receive both ends of a guide member permitting the lengthwise movement of the valve and holding the valve against turning in the cylinder.

United States Patent Oguma 51 June 20, 1972 VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR CORNETS,TRUMPETS AND LIKE INSTRUMENTS Yuklhiro Ogurna, Hamamatsu', Japan NipponGakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha, Harnamatsu-shi, Japan Dec. 4, 1970Inventor:

Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 5, 1969 Japan ..44/l 15354 US. Cl..25l/323, 137/625.29, 84/392 Int. Cl. ..'...G10d 9/04, F161: 3/26 Fieldof Search ..251/323, 322; 137/625.29;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 3/1913 Conrad .i.'....84/3922,260,723 10/1941 Olds ..137/625.29 X 2,612,811 10/1952 Meyers ..84/3921,534,862 4/1925 Meyers 251/323 X Primary Examiner-Arnold RosenthalAttomey-Kemon, Palmer & Estabrook ABSTRACT to seat on the step and has apair of cut-out portions fomied at an annular edge thereof. The cut-outportions receiveboth ends of a guide member permitting the lengthwisemovement of the valve and holding the valve against turning in thecylinder.

3 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEllJuuzo m2 3.671 All 1 SHEET 10F 2"FIG.1

3839 F s. 4 h 37 INVENTOR.

PATENTEDJUNZO I972 I 3,671 ;O1 1

sum 2 or 2 INVENTOR. y k/An a 0G 0 m n BY .VALVE ASSEMBLY ronCORNETSQI'RUMPETS AND LIKE INSTRUMENTS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention relates to wind musical instruments and more particularly toan improved valve assembly for comets, trumpets and like instruments. v

I In general, in such a valve assembly, a piston valve is so constructedas to move in a valve cylinder in a reciprocal manner. The piston valveis formed into a cylindrical shape and has a pair of elongated slotsextending lengthwise thereof at the upper portions of the valve. Intothe slots is inserted a guide member both ends of which "projectoutwardly out of the slots. 7 A coiled spring is disposed inside thecylindrical valve and interposed between the inner end surfaceof thevalve and the guide member so as to urge the guide member toward one endof each slot. The guide member is received, as explained below, by theinner wall of the valve cylinder so that it holds the piston valveagainst turning in the cylinder and permits the lengthwise movement ofthe piston valve.

In a prior art valve assembly, such a valve cylinder is composed of twotubes, one being larger in inner diameter than the other. The tubes areconnected together by inserting the first tube having a smallerinnerdiameter into the second tube having a larger inner diameter and bysoldering or brazing the connected portion. A pair of cut-out portionsare formed in the end of the first tube inserted in the second tube, andthe aforesaid guide member is fitted in the cut-out portions formed inthe inner wall of the valve cylinder.

According to such prior art construction, however, there are someapparent drawbacks. First, it is very difficult to obtain the completevalignment of the both tubes connected together by soldering or brazing.Unsatisfactory alignment thereof hinders the smooth reciprocatingmovement of the piston valve and badly affects the playing of the windinstrument. This alsomeans that corresponding openings formedrespectively in the cylinder and the piston valve for the passageofsound therethrough do not correctly register with each other thusseriously affecting the quality of tones produced. Further, solder orwax unavoidably adheres to the cut-out portions of the first tube duringthe soldering or brazing operation, and it requires the subsequenttroublesome work of eliminating such unnecessary solder or wax. Heatingof the piston valve at the time of soldering or brazing also lowers theprecision of the valve itself.

The present'invention is intended to eliminate such drawbacks andprovide a valve assembly of the class described comprising, incombination, a valve cylinder, formed of a one- .piece tube and having acylindrical bore extending therethrough, the cylindrical bore beingdivided into two sections one of which is larger in diameter than theother so as to form an annular step therebetween, the two sections ofthe bore being aligned with each other, a tubular collar tightly fittedin the bore so as to seat on the annular step, the collar having acylindrical opening aligned with the bore and also having a pair ofcut-out portions at an annular edge thereof, a cylindrical piston valvemovable in the bore and having a pair -of elongated slots extendinglengthwise thereof, a. guide member inserted in the elongated slots withthe ends thereof fitted in the cut-out portions respectively, and aspring means disposed between the piston valve and the guide member andurging the guide member toward the collar. 7

The invention will be fully understood from the following detaileddescription and the appended drawings, in which:

BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of acomet employing the improvedvalves of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a guide member fitted in the collar;and 1 FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG.5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION ventional cup-shaped mouth piece12 and, at its opposite end,

an outlet 13 of bell'fonn. The effective length of the tube is varied,as is well known in the art, by the operation of valves 14, 15 and 16which are connected into the tube 11 through crooked or bent tubes l7,l8, and 19. Each of these valves employs the improved valve assembly ofthe present invention, and therefore the detailed showing and followingdescription of the valve 14 will suffice.

or passages 23 to introduce the sound from the mouth piece 12 to thebell 13.

The valve 22 carries, at its upper portion, a hollow cylindrical guideportion 24 having a pair of diametrically opposite I and elongated guideslots 25 extending lengthwise of the valve 22 and provided at its upperend with a top closure 26 secured thereon. From the top closure 26 thereextends a stem 27 with a finger key 28. A cap 29 slidably surrounds thestem 27 to be screwed to the upper end of the valve cylinder 21.

In the hollow guide portion 24 there is disposed a coiled spring 30 forreturning the valve 22 to normal position after the depression of thevalve, one end of the spring 30 abutting on the inner face of theclosure 26 and theother end thereof abutting on a guide member 31. Theguide member 31 carries a pair of sliding portions 32 diametricallyextending in the hollow guide portion 24 through the guide slots 25 soas to slidably engage with the guide slots 25 respectively, and furtherat the ends of the guide member 31 there is a pair of lugs 33 engagingthe later described cut-out engaging portions provided on the innersurface of the cylinder 21.

The valve cylinder 21 is formed of a one-piece tube preferably of brassand has a cylindrical bore 35 extending therethrough which bore isdivided into two sections 35a and 7 35b, one 35a being larger indiameter than the other 3517. The

two sections 35a and 35b are formed in alignment with each other. At theborder of the two formed an annular step 36. I

Into the section 35a having the larger diameter is tightly fitted atubular collar 37 which, as best shown'in FIG. 4, has a cylindricalopening 38 extending therethrough and also has at an annular edgethereof a pair of diametrically opposite channel-shaped cut-out engagingportions 39. The collar is thus seated on the annular step 36, with theend having the cut-out portions 39 apart from the step 36. The collar 37and the smaller-diameter section 35b are thereafter bored with a boringmachine so as to produce a complete alignment therebetween.

The above-mentioned lugs 33 of the guide member 31 are fitted into thecut-out portions 39 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and are urged toward thecollar 37 by the biasing force of the spring 30. In operation, when thefinger key 28 is depressed, the valve 22 moves in the cylinder'21against the reaction force of the spring 30 and when the key 28 isreleased, the

sections 350 and 35b there is valve 22 returns to its normal position bythe aid of the spring force.

What is claimed is:

l. A valve assembly of the class described comprising, in combination, avalve cylinder formed of a one-piece tube and having a cylindrical boreextending therethrough, said cylindrical bore being divided into twosections one of which is larger in diameter than the other so as to forma flat annular step therebetween, said two sections of said bore beingaligned with each other, a tubular collar tightly fitted in said bore soas to seat on said annular step, said collar having a cylindrical guideportion and disposed between said piston valve and said guide member andurging said guidemember toward said collar.

2. A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said slots are arrangedat positions diametrically opposite to each other, and said cut-outportions are also arranged at positions diametrically opposite to eachother.

3. A valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said guide member has apair of sliding portions slidably engaging with said slots and has apair of lugs at both ends thereof, said lugs being fitted in saidcut-out portions. i

1. A valve assembly of the class described comprising, in combination, avalve cylinder formed of a one-piece tube and having a cylindrical boreextending therethrough, said cylindrical bore being divided into twosections one of which is larger in diameter than the other so as to forma flat annular step therebetween, said two sections of said bore beingaligned with each other, a tubular collar tightly fitted in said bore soas to seat on said annular step, said collar having a cylindricalopening aligned with said bore and also having a pair of annular edgesat both ends thereof, one of said annular edges having a pair of cut-outportions and the other of said annular edges being flat and adapted torest on said flat annular step, a cylindrical piston valve movable insaid bore and having hollow guide portion perforated with a pair ofelongated slots extending lengthwise thereof, a guide member inserted insaid elongated slots with the ends thereof fitted in said cut-outportions respectively, and a spring means housed in said hollow guideportion and disposed between said piston valve and said guide member andurging said guide member toward said collar.
 2. A valve assemblyaccording to claim 1 wherein said slots are arranged at positionsdiametrically opposite to each other, and said cut-out portions are alsoarranged at positions diametrically opposite to each other.
 3. A valveassembly according to claim 1 wherein said guide member has a pair ofsliding portions slidably engaging with said slots and has a pair oflugs at both ends thereof, said lugs being fitted in said cut-outportions.